Academy enrollment

[The_Russian]

How packed are the 141 schools nowadays? You know, FSI, DCA, Pam Am, and the rest. When I was at Comair (now DCA) back in 99 there were over 500 students.

 

[acaTerry]

Pan Am is loaded but everyone is Chinese and Korean. The banks aint handing it out like they used to.

 

[Way2Broke]

I would be very interested to know DCAs number or students at SFB.

 

[RedBaron1]

DCA is just over 400 students.

 

[Amish RakeFight]

You gotta really want to fly planes to swing all that money these days for a crummy future. Sounds like mostly foreign folks are attending these schools.

 

[RedBaron1]

"You gotta really want to fly planes to swing all that money these days for a crummy future. Sounds like mostly foreign folks are attending these schools."

What are you doing on an aviation website if you don't like aviation and have no idea what type of future there is in aviation?

 

[Amish RakeFight]

What are you doing on an aviation website if you don't like aviation and have no idea what type of future there is in aviation?

Listen up RedBaron, unlike you (you sound bitter) I didn't drop a huge wad of cash at one of these brand name pilot-cloning schools to sit in a jet for 20K. Went a better route -route 61 kid.

Why do you think these schools are now mostly flooded with foreigners with a large decrease in American students. American kids (really their parents) don't want to drop large sums of cash for a bleak future. The foreign students are mostly ab-inito where their airline or country sponsors pay for the training - unlike here. Training is either non-existent in their country or incredibly high in comparison to what it costs here.

These days if you haven't noticed, getting your requisite ratings and certificates is an enormous expense to very low paying entry-level positions with very clear and defined pay scales. The inevitable GA user fees will further contribute to the insidious sprial down. I'll let you in on a little secret, this ain't your fathers airline no more. Quality of life is down the shatner and respect is nil. Let alone upgrade times which have pierced the roof.

Clearly, there is a downward trend in student pilot starts. This will only get worse. My statement reflects the obvious attitude of new comers to aviation. They aren't willing to fork over the money it takes to get to a professional pilot job. For those who do, it takes a LOT of sacrifice to do so. Do the math.

So I stand by my comment that one REALLY has to want to participate in this profession to endure the high costs of training, low pay and the crappy lifestyle it'll afford ya.

If one wants to get involved with aviation - all the better. But you'd be silly to think that there isn't a lot of sacrifice along the way for musical regionals and bases and high upgrade times with correspondingly low pay.

...and who said I didn't like aviation? Get some reading comprehension. It's called an opinion on the state of the industry and it's devoid of any dislike of aviation per se.

 

[RedBaron1]

I never said there wasn't any sacrifice to getting into this industry. I have been in the airline industry in different capacities for 12 years! Thank you very much! I can't stand young kids like yourself, who claim they are an expert at the industry who aren't flying for an airline! If you want information on the industry, you go to the source. Someone who is there. Now, while you think that the airline industry is so bad, then you don't need to talk. Go do your little puddle jumping in your One Fitty-two!!!
There is a large opportunity out there. Airline pilots are still in the top ten in pay in the US!! While it isn't perfect (what job is, tell me) they are still getting paid for flying and working 12 to 18 days a month! The average airline pilot is making $133,500 per year (included is the $18,000 FO at Colgan) in that average according to MSN, Career Builders, Monster, etc.,!

 

[oops!]

here we go again

 

[Princedietrich]

Did he just call Rakefight a young kid?

Wow, someone must have gotten a severe beating with the "I don't have a clue" paddle.